Hannah met Zach at work, somewhere between shared responsibilities and conversations that lingered just a little longer than necessary. She noticed him immediately steady, thoughtful, with kind eyes that made her feel safe and a handsome smile that softened every room he stood in. She was interested from the start. Zach, however, was convinced she couldn’t possibly be. He admired her quietly. He saw her confidence, her strength, the way she carried herself with warmth and capability. But in his mind, someone like Hannah wouldn’t look twice at someone like him. So when she stayed to talk, he assumed she was just friendly. When she teased him, he told himself she was just being nice. Meanwhile, Hannah thought she was being obvious. Time passed. Hannah dated someone else. Zach stayed respectful and silent, but he felt it the way the air changed when she wasn’t near him, how he missed their easy conversations. He cared more than he let on. When that relationship ended, something shifted in him. The hesitation disappeared. He didn’t overthink it this time. He simply asked her out. Their first real date was simple: pizza and beer at Hannah’s apartment. They sat close, talking for hours about everything childhood stories, dreams, embarrassing memories. The night slipped by unnoticed. That was when Hannah realized what she had always seen: the depth in his kind eyes, the sincerity in his laugh, the quiet strength beneath his shyness. Zach, still a little stunned she had ever liked him, felt something steady and certain take root. Later, he admitted that once at work he had seen her confidently march into a portapotty and thought, “Well… if she can handle that, she can definitely handle camp outhouses in Michigan.” It became one of their favorite jokes romance apparently starting with portable bathrooms and survival standards. He took her to her first hockey game not long after. She didn’t understand all the rules, but she loved watching him light up while explaining them. She cheered at the wrong times and held his hand during the fights. It wasn’t really about hockey it was about being invited into his world. His family welcomed Hannah with open arms, no hesitation just warmth and belonging. And when it came to Otto and Lucy, Zach didn’t force anything. He showed up. He listened. He played. The connection was instant and natural. Hannah watched him with her children and realized he wasn’t just falling in love with her he was choosing all of them. They had long talks about what this meant, about whether they were serious. Those talks slowly turned into shared mornings and drawers filled with his clothes. Before long, they were practically living together. Buying a home felt like planting roots. They made it theirs filling it with laughter, chaos, comfort, and love. Then came Eloise. Finding out they were pregnant felt like the world expanding. Zach looked at Hannah like she had handed him everything he ever wanted. They made multiple cross-country trips to camp, building memories and dreaming about their growing family. Hannah may have practically begged him to marry her. Zach, ever thoughtful, picked out a ring with her sister Jade and asked Otto and Lucy for permission first. He proposed in front of the most beautiful river and waterfall, and she said yes without hesitation. They were over the moon. In love with each other. In love with their daughter. Spending every second together they could possibly spare. They made a family. He completed them. And Eloise sealed the deal.